Concealed-stop slotted-bail for furniture components

ABSTRACT

A keeper securable to a drawer front or the like, has a semicylindrical journal thereon for receiving a slotted or notched bail. The journal has a lug projecting radially therefrom at one end thereof engageable by a stop in a recess at the side of the slot in the bail to prevent contact of the drawer front by the bail when released to hang freely.

United States Patent Ciepley [54] CONCEALED-STOP SLO'I'I'ED-BAIL FOR FURNITURE COMPONENTS [72] lnyentor: Ted Ciepley, Evansville, ind.-

[73] Assignee: Bliss and Laughlin Industries Incorporated, Oak Brook, ll].

[22] Filed: Feb. 4, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 8,555

[52] US. Cl. ..l6/ 126 [51] Int. Cl. ..A47b 95/02 [58] Field of Search ..l6/l26, 127, 110; 50/190 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 235,299 12/1880 Routh ..16/l27 [15] 3,681,807 [45 1 Aug. 8, 1972 339,894 4/1886 Jones .....l6/l26 2,129,095 9/1938 beland.;....; ..l6/l26 Primary Examiner-Bobby R. Gay Assistant Examiner-Doris L. Troutman Attorney-Woodard, Weikart, Emhardt & Naughton [57] ABSTRACT A keeper securable to a drawer front or the like, has a semi-cylindrical journal thereon for receiving a slotted or notched bail. The journal has a lug projecting radially therefrom at one end thereof engageable by a stop in a recess at the side of the slot in the bail to prevent contact of the drawer front by the bail when released to hang freely.

9 Clairm, 6 Drawing Figures PKTE'N'TEDAuH m2 3.681.807

INVENTOR 7E0 f/EPLEY Fig. 2,. I v BY UMAJAJH'M ATTORNEYS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1 Field of the Invention- This invention relates generally to pulls for movable components of furniture, and more particularly to a decorative pull having concealed means for prevention of damage to the drawer front by the handle employed.

2. Description of the Prior Art In furniture hardware, and particularly in drawer pulls, the desirability of keeping the handle from striking and damaging the drawer front has long been recog- FIG. 6 is a rear elevation of a portion of a bail arm as viewed in the direction of the arrows from line 6-6 in FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in detail, a keeper 11 is affixed to 'a furniture component such as a drawer front 12, for example, by a pair of screws 13 which are horizontally spaced and threadedly received in the back of the end portions 14 and l5 of the keeper. The back face 16 of thekeeper is thus located on, the front face 17 of the memberl2and the keeper has a pair of nized. A variety of means for accomplishing this objecj rn l her n at l an 1 Whieh re essentially the tive is known. Some examples are represented by U. S. patents as follows:

I US. Pat. No. 980,193 to Brenia Jan. 3, 1911 US. Pat. No. 1,622,735 to Noelting et al Mar. 29, 1927 US.

same in cross sectional shape described in detail.

As best shown in no. 2, journal 19 is semi-cylindrical in shape, having an outer cylindrical surface 21 exso only one need Pat. No. 1,772,371 to Specht Aug. 5, 1930 vs. Pat. No. tending from a horizontal line 22 around 2 to the 2,177,554 to Stiff Oct. 24, 1939 US. Pat. No. Re.26,019 to Watt, Jr. May 3, 1966 In addition, devices are known to prevent or limit the extent of travel of the handle away from the mount. This is common in hardware for caskets, and an example is the United States patent as follows: US. Pat. No. 2,098,421 to Johnson Nov. 9,

1937 Although much effort has been expended in this area, with varying degrees of success as represented by the foregoing patents, for example, there has remained a need for new and attractive styles of hardware for furniture, and drawer front protective means compatible therewith. The present invention fulfills this need.

SUMMARY Described briefly, in a typical embodiment of the present invention, a keeper securable to a furniture component has a journal thereon with a cylindrical exterior surface to receive a matching interior surface of a notch or slot in a handle, for pivotal suspension of the handle on the keeper. A lug is provided on a portion of the journal and is engageable with a stop in a recess in an arm of the handle to limit downward travel of the handle and thus provide for a space between the handle and the front of the furniture component to preclude damage of the latter when the handle is released by the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS ponent in a horizontal direction.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the arm portion only of the handle taken at line 4-4 in FIG. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the keeper of FIG. 1, without the ball.

vertical plane 23 through the cylindrical axis 24 of the journal. The same construction exists in journal 18, as shown in FIG. 3. These journals have cavities 26 in the lower front quarter of their circumference for a purpose which will become apparent as the description proceeds. Also each journal has a lug projecting radially outwardly and downwardly therefrom as does lug 27 of journal 19, both the lug and the cavity being in the same quadrant. Lug 27 has a front stop face 28 disposed in plane 23 and facing outwardly with respect to the front surface 17 of the furniture component.

As will the bestunderstood upon consideration of FIG. 2, 3 and 4together the handle has back surfaces 29 and 31 proximate a notch or slot 32 therein, and a back surface 33 remote from the notch. These surfaces lie in a back plane 34 for the handle, and in order to avoid damage to the drawer front 17 it is important that these surfaces do not encounter the surface 17. This is readily accomplished at the upper end by providing the journal axis 24 at a reasonable spacing from the back face 16 of. the keeper so that as the semicylindrical interior bearing surface 36 of the handle is received on and supportedby the journal, the surfaces 29 and 31 are adequately spaced from the surface 17.

Separation of the distal back surface 33 of the handle from the drawer front surface 17 is assured by providing a stop face 37 in the recess 38 in the outer side 39 of the handle arm 41. As best shown in FIG. 4, this face 37 is spaced slightly behind a plane through the axis 24 of the cylindrical surface 36 of the notch and which is parallel to the back plane 34.

As shown in FIG. 3, when a drawer is pulled in the direction of arrow 42, the handle will normally be raised to almost a horizontal attitude. When released, however, it will descend in the direction of arrow 43 until the stop 37 in recess 38 abuttingly engages face 28 of lug 27. At this point as shown in FIG. 2, the lower back face of the handle is safely spaced from the front face 17 of the drawer.

While it is desirable to provide a suitable opening at the entrance 46 of the notch 32 in order to be able to assemble the bail and keeper together prior to mounting of the keeper to the furniture component, it is also necessary to be sure that the bail remains reliably mounted to the keeper once the latter is secured to the furniture component. For this purpose, the cylindrical internal surface of the slot 32 normally extends from the point 47 throughout an angle in excess of 225 degrees to the point 48. The dimension or width between or width the points 47 and 48 across the entrance is less than the diameter of the journal 19. Consequently, in any normal disposition of the bail, while the keeper is mounted to the drawer front, the bail cannot be separated from the keeper but will smoothly pivot around the journal with the surface 36 bearing on the journal during such motion. As indicated in FIG. 3, it might appear that the upward motion of the bail wouldbe limited when the point 48 reaches the back face of the lug such as at face 49 on the lug 51 on journal 18. However,, some additional travel is accommodated by providing another recess in the outside face of the arm and this is better shown for arm 41 at 52 in FIG. 4. Consequently the arm can be raised further until the face 53 in the recess 52 engages the backside of the lug on the associated journal. in this particular example for arm 41 it would be engagement offace 53 with backside 54 of lug 27.

The dimension 55 from the cavity 26 measured through the center 24 to the outer cylindrical surface of the journal is less than the dimension at the entrance 46 between the points 47 and 48. Accordingly, when the keeper is removed from the drawer front so that the handle can be turned on the journal far enough to place the shortest distance across the entrance approximately in line with dimension 54, the handle canbe readily removed from the keeper. As suggested above, this construction facilitates assembly and disassembly of the handle and keeper in production, as well as in the event it ever becomes necessary later on. It is preferable however that the dimensions be such as to preclude separation of the parts unless the keeper is removed from the furniture component.

The provision of the two arms 41 and 56 with appropriate recesses and stops in both of the arms, and lugs 27 and 51 on the two journals 19 and 18, respectively, contributes to stability and reliability in in the assembly. It provides a particularly suitable and attractive mounting for the bail of the type shown at 57 in the drawings. Because of the proximity of the face 39 of the arm 41 to the shoulder 58 of the keeper, and similarly the proximity of the side face 59 of the arm 56 to the shoulder 61, and the fact that the lugs project downwardly in the lower rear quarter of the space occupied by the journal and depending handle, and the fact that the lower margin 62 of the recess 38, for example, need not be more remote from the pivot axis 24 than are the outside cylindrical surfaces 63 and 64 of the keeper portions adjacent the arms 59 and 41, the complete stop arrangement is concealed throughout the various positions of use and rest of the handle with respect to the keeper. The inset of the outer diameter of the lugs with respect to the cylindrical surfaces 63 and 64, as best shown at 66 and 67, respectively in FIG. 5, facilitates appropriate location of the outer wall 62 of the recess to assure good concealment.

The description and drawings herein should be considered as illustrative and not restrictive as variations can be made within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A pull for a movable furniture component and comprising:

a keeper securable to a furniture component and having a journal, and a handle having a horizontally extending notch with opposite ends therein received on said journal for pivotally mounting said handle to said journal, said notch is semicircular with the entrance thereof having width less than the diameter of said journal; a lug on said keeper; a recess in a side of said handle adjacent said notch therein, said recess having an end stop abuttingly engageable with said lug during pivoting of said handle, to stop said handle in spaced relation to the furniture component when said handle is in the downward position.

2. The pull of claim 1 wherein:

said journal is semicircular in cross section, having an outer cylindrical bearing surface for said handle notch, and having a cavity therein permitting passage of said handle entrance'when said keeper is separate from a furniture component.

3. The pull of claim 2 wherein:

said keeper has means for attachment thereof to a furniture component, and said keeper has a back locating surface for locating said keeper on the component;

said lug being spaced outward relative to said locating surface, and under said journal.

4. The pull of claim 1 wherein:

said notch opens inwardly, and

said keeper journal has an outer cylindrical bearing surface for said handle and has a cavity in the lower back portion thereof with a dimension therefrom through the axis of said journal to said cylindrical surface which is less than said width of said entrance of said notch, to permit assembly and disassembly of said handle and keeper when said keeper is separated from said furniture component.

5. The pull of claim 1 wherein:

said lug has a face engageable by said stop in said recess, said cavity and said face being provided in the same quadrant relative to the pivot axis of said journal when said handle is in the downward position.

6. The pull of claim 1 wherein:

said keeper has a shoulder, and said handle has a connecting portion with said notch therein, with said handle side being on said connecting portion and disposed in closely spaced relation to said shoulder, said lug and recess being concealed by said shoulder, the radial distance of the most remote point on said lug with respect to the axis of said journal is less than a radial distance from said axis to the exterior of said shoulder.

7. The pull of claim 1 wherein:

said handle has a first and second arm with said notch and recess in said first arm and with another notch and recess in said second arm;

said journal is the first of first and second aligned but spaced apart journals on said keeper, said keeper has shoulders outboard of said first and second journals limiting sideways movement of said handle;

said lug projects from said first shoulder into said recess of said first arm with another lug projecting from said second shoulder into said recess of said second arm while said arm is in the downward position.

8. The pull of claim wherein:

said first and second journal have a back side groove extending along the lengths thereof with the radial distance from said groove to the front side of said first and second journal less than the entrance width of said notch in said first arm and in said second arm.

9. A pull for a movable furniture component and comprising:

a keeper securable to a furniture component and having a journal, and a handle having a notch therein received on said journal for pivotally mounting said handle to said journal;

a lug on said keeper; 4 l

a recess in a side of said handle adjacent said notch therein, said recess having an end stop abuttingly engageable with said lug during pivoting of said handle, to stop said handle in spaced relation to the furniture component; and wherein:

the said notch is semicircular with the entrance thereof being of lesser dimension than the diameter of said journal; i

said keeper has means for attachment thereof to a furniture component, and said keeper has a back locating surface for locating said keeper on the component;

said lug being spaced outward relative to said locating surface, and under said journal;

back surfaces of said handle remote from said notch and adjacent said notch define a back plane for said handle, the pivot axis of said journal and said notch being forward of said plane;

the said end stop of said recess being located nearer to said plane than is said pivot axis, whereby engagement of said stop with said lug maintains said remote back surface of said handle spaced from the furniture component;

said notch opens inwardly toward said back plane;

said keeper journal has an outer cylindrical bearing surface for said handle and has a cavity in the lower back portion thereof with a dimension therefrom through the axis of said journal to said cylindrical surface which is less than said dimension at the entrance of said notch, to permit assembly and disassembly of said handle and keeper when said keeper is separated from said furniture component;

said lug has a face engageable by said stop in said recess, said cavity and said face being provided in the same quadrant relative to the pivot axis of said journal;

said recess is at one endof the entrance of said notch, said handle having a clearance recess at the other end of the entrance of said notch to receive said lug upon raising said handle beyond a predetermined point and thereby permit raising said handle through a larger arc without interference by said lug, than would otherwise be possible. 

1. A pull for a movable furniture component and comprising: a keeper securable to a furniture component and having a journal, and a handle having a horizontally extending notch with opposite ends therein received on said journal for pivotally mounting said handle to said journal, said notch is semicircular with the entrance thereof having width less than the diameter of said journal; a lug on said keeper; a recess in a side of said handle adjacent said notch therein, said recess having an end stop abuttingly engageable with said lug during pivoting of said handle, to stop said handle in spaced relation to the furniture component when said handle is in the downward position.
 2. The pull of claim 1 wherein: said journal is semicircular in cross section, having an outer cylindrical bearing surface for said handle notch, and having a cavity therein permitting passage of said handle entrance when said keeper is separate from a furniture component.
 3. The pull of claim 2 wherein: said keeper has means for attachment thereof to a furniture component, and said keeper has a back locating surface for locating said keeper on the component; said lug being spaced outward relative to said locating surface, and under said journal.
 4. The pull of claim 1 wherein: said notch opens inwardly, and said keeper journal has an outer cylindrical bearing surface for said handle and has a cavity in the lower back portion thereof with a dimension therefrom through the axis of said journal to said cylindrical surface which is less than said width of said entrAnce of said notch, to permit assembly and disassembly of said handle and keeper when said keeper is separated from said furniture component.
 5. The pull of claim 1 wherein: said lug has a face engageable by said stop in said recess, said cavity and said face being provided in the same quadrant relative to the pivot axis of said journal when said handle is in the downward position.
 6. The pull of claim 1 wherein: said keeper has a shoulder, and said handle has a connecting portion with said notch therein, with said handle side being on said connecting portion and disposed in closely spaced relation to said shoulder, said lug and recess being concealed by said shoulder, the radial distance of the most remote point on said lug with respect to the axis of said journal is less than a radial distance from said axis to the exterior of said shoulder.
 7. The pull of claim 1 wherein: said handle has a first and second arm with said notch and recess in said first arm and with another notch and recess in said second arm; said journal is the first of first and second aligned but spaced apart journals on said keeper, said keeper has shoulders outboard of said first and second journals limiting sideways movement of said handle; said lug projects from said first shoulder into said recess of said first arm with another lug projecting from said second shoulder into said recess of said second arm while said arm is in the downward position.
 8. The pull of claim 15 wherein: said first and second journal have a back side groove extending along the lengths thereof with the radial distance from said groove to the front side of said first and second journal less than the entrance width of said notch in said first arm and in said second arm.
 9. A pull for a movable furniture component and comprising: a keeper securable to a furniture component and having a journal, and a handle having a notch therein received on said journal for pivotally mounting said handle to said journal; a lug on said keeper; a recess in a side of said handle adjacent said notch therein, said recess having an end stop abuttingly engageable with said lug during pivoting of said handle, to stop said handle in spaced relation to the furniture component; and wherein: the said notch is semicircular with the entrance thereof being of lesser dimension than the diameter of said journal; said keeper has means for attachment thereof to a furniture component, and said keeper has a back locating surface for locating said keeper on the component; said lug being spaced outward relative to said locating surface, and under said journal; back surfaces of said handle remote from said notch and adjacent said notch define a back plane for said handle, the pivot axis of said journal and said notch being forward of said plane; the said end stop of said recess being located nearer to said plane than is said pivot axis, whereby engagement of said stop with said lug maintains said remote back surface of said handle spaced from the furniture component; said notch opens inwardly toward said back plane; said keeper journal has an outer cylindrical bearing surface for said handle and has a cavity in the lower back portion thereof with a dimension therefrom through the axis of said journal to said cylindrical surface which is less than said dimension at the entrance of said notch, to permit assembly and disassembly of said handle and keeper when said keeper is separated from said furniture component; said lug has a face engageable by said stop in said recess, said cavity and said face being provided in the same quadrant relative to the pivot axis of said journal; said recess is at one end of the entrance of said notch, said handle having a clearance recess at the other end of the entrance of said notch to receive said lug upon raising said handle beyond a predetermined point and thereby permit raising said handle through a larger arc without interference by said lug, than would otherwise be possible. 